Chiddingly Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Chiddingly Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of this warm and welcoming primary school.

They talk positively about their experiences of learning. They feel safe and well cared for by all adults. Staff have prioritised building strong relationships with every family.

This has had a positive impact on attendance. It has also ensured that the school can respond to each pupil and their needs in a carefully tailored approach. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in school life.

Adaptations... to the delivery of the curriculum and to the environment effectively support all learners.

The school has high expectations for behaviour and pupils are keen to live up to these, right from the early years. The school's values of 'ambition', 'kindness' and 'community' are well embedded and result in high engagement in lessons.

Alongside this, staff are ambitious for every pupil to succeed. The curriculum is designed in a way to encourage children to be self-motivated and independent. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

The wider curriculum provides extensive opportunities for pupils to be involved in their local community. Leadership roles such as 'pupil governors' provide a real-life context for pupils to learn about democracy.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school's curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils.

It is ambitious and clearly identifies what teachers need to teach within each subject. Adaptations for pupils with SEND are effective. This means that every pupil can learn the curriculum and achieve well.

Staff have a strong subject knowledge and are confident to teach the curriculum. This has been supported by the work and training across the federation. This starts in the early years where staff have a strong understanding of early child development.

Staff use their expertise to encourage children to be independent and resilient learners.

Activities for each subject are mostly well matched to the intended learning. The majority of pupils are able to build on and remember their knowledge over time.

The school is still refining the way that teachers design activities in a small number of subjects. This is because in these subjects, such as art and music, pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to deepen their understanding within the mixed-age classes. In those subjects where this has already been considered, pupils progress well through the curriculum.

Reading is highly valued at Chiddingly. Pupil librarians were fully involved in the development of the two school libraries and made decisions about the range of high-quality texts that were purchased. All staff are trained in the approach to phonics.

The daily teaching of reading is a priority and ensures children get off to a strong start as soon as they begin the early years. The weakest readers are supported expertly to gain the knowledge that they need to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books that they are reading.

They have opportunities to practise reading using books that are matched to the sounds they are learning, alongside choosing books to read for pleasure.

The approach to pupils' personal development has been thoughtfully considered. The school's and federation's values are explicitly taught and at the centre of the approach.

Pupils learn how to value and respect difference. They are keen to celebrate each other's achievements through weekly whole-school assemblies. Trips and wider experiences are woven into the curriculum and accessibility for all pupils is prioritised.

Leadership opportunities for pupils are meaningful. They ensure pupils understand their influence over decisions made about their school. The eco council's development of the school grounds is one example of this.

This work is ensuring that pupils are ready for life beyond the school.

The school has prioritised refinements to attendance and behaviour strategies. All staff have been trained in the new approach to supporting and understanding behaviour.

As a result, pupils behave well. They have positive attitudes to learning and to each other. Pupils' high levels of engagement start in the early years.

Learning is rarely disrupted by the behaviour of other pupils. Pupils, parents and carers and staff understand the importance of good attendance. Staff know families well and adapt support accordingly.

Workload and well-being of all staff is reviewed regularly. Staff are positive about the support they receive, including those who are newest to teaching. The wider support from the federation allows staff to share workload and expertise.

Those responsible for governance know the school well. They challenge and support the school effectively and are rigorous in carrying out their statutory duties.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, pupils do not have opportunities to deepen their understanding and move on to more complex work. This means that they are not gaining depth and breadth of knowledge in these subjects. The school should support teachers to design activities that are adapted expertly for mixed-age classes.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2015.